March 2010 Theatre Calendar

“The Who’s Tommy” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” to be staged

Who's iconic 1969 concept album "Tommy" and an adaptation of an award-winning dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood will be staged in March by the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University. Both are part of the inaugural Masters-in-the-Making series, which showcases the talents of third-year master of fine arts (MFA) students.

Northwestern MFA student Geoff Button will direct "The Who's Tommy" (Feb. 18 to March 7) and MFA student Catherine Miller Hardy has adapted and will direct "The Handmaid's Tale" (March 5 to 14).

March also will feature several events presented by the department of performance studies: "Happy Families -- A ‘Clown' Show" (March 5 and 6) and a screening and director-led discussion of filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons' "No! The Rape Documentary" (March 11). Solo staged recitals (March 13) performed by two Northwestern graduate students also will take place.

All events are open to the public and will be held on Northwestern's Evanston campus. Ticket information follows each event listing.

Performance Studies, "Happy Families -- A ‘Clown' Show," 8 p.m. Friday, March 5; and 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 6, Musseter-Struble Theater, 1949 Campus Drive, Evanston campus. A new stage work about animals imagined by an ensemble of Northwestern undergraduate student clowns, "Happy Families" is a light-hearted but critical exploration of society's cultural attitudes toward animals. How do we look at animals? How do we use them to define ourselves? How can we justify the animal and human distinction? This debut performance uses a theatrical approach that combines physical comedy, intimate clowning, audience interaction and dramatic spectacle to challenge and delight audiences. The actors have been trained and directed in clowning techniques by Northwestern doctoral student Barnaby King. Each actor has developed a unique animal-inspired character and may be best described as an "encounter" rather than a "show." Admission is $5. Tickets may be purchased through the TIC Box Office at (847) 491-7282.

Masters-in-the-Making series, "The Handmaid's Tale," 8 p.m. Friday, March 5; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 6; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7; 8 p.m. Thursday, March 11; 8 p.m. Friday, March 12; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 14, Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston campus. Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood and adapted and directed by third year MFA directing student Catherine Miller Hardy, "The Handmaid's Tale" is the story of a woman living under an authoritarian regime in the not-too-distant future. One of few remaining fertile women, she is given to a wealthy and powerful couple to bear "their" children. As weeks stretch into months and this strange new world becomes the norm, the woman must find a way to preserve the life she knew and face her own complicity in the situation she finds herself. Ticket prices are $15 for the general public; $12 for seniors 65 and older, Northwestern faculty and staff and area educators and administrators; and $10 for full-time students. Tickets may be purchased through the TIC Box Office at (847) 491-7282 or online at www.tic.northwestern.edu.

Performance Studies film screening and discussion, "No! The Rape Documentary," 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11, Annie May Swift Auditorium, 1920 Campus Drive, Evanston campus. Award-winning independent filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons, an incest and rape survivor, will screen and discuss her film "No! The Rape Documentary." Produced and directed during a period of eleven years by Simmons, this groundbreaking documentary features testimonials from female African-American rape survivors who defy victimization. They are juxtaposed with interviews from violence prevention advocates, theologians, sociologists, historians, anthropologists and other scholars and human rights activists, providing an interdisciplinary context in which to examine sexual violence in African-American communities. The film also explores the link between rape and homophobia. The screening will be followed by a discussion. Admission is free.

Performance Studies Master of Art (M.A.) Staged Recitals, Andrew Brown and Adekemi Adeymi, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 13, Musseter-Struble Theater, 1949 Campus Drive, Evanston campus. This department of performance studies program will feature the solo staged recitals of Northwestern graduate students Andrew Brown and Adekemi Adeymi. Each work is developed from the student's research area. Admission is free.

Nathalie Rayter, a junior in the School of Education and Social Policy, contributed to this story